Thread guide



P. T. JONES Dec. 2, 1947.

THREAD GUIDE Filed July 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

BY Paul T. Jones.

P. T. JONES THREAD GUIDE Dec. 2, 1947.

Filed July 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B Paul T. Jones.

Patented Dec. 2, 1947 THREAD GUIDE Paul T Jones, Elizabethton, Tenn; assignor to American Bemberg Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware f Application July 2, 1944, Serial No. 543,367

This invention relates to improvements in handling thread and more particularly to the production of thread by the wet spinning process.

In wet spinning thread, one system commonly employed embodies introducing a spinning solution into a coagulant through a spinnerette mounted in the upper end of a spinning funnel. The filaments thus formed descend through a coagulating liquid to the bottom of the funnel, from which .they are withdrawn in th form of a continuous thread. In order to facilitate the handling of the thread thus formed, it is ordinarily directed beneath a guide rod, preferably composed of a non-corrosive substance such as stainless steel, and from thence through the usual guides and acid bath to a reel, upon whichit is wound. Because of the character of the chemicals employed, deposits occur upon the guide rods with-the result that they must be periodically removed and fresh clean rods substituted in order to maintain satisfactory production of thread. Such a procedure of necessity demands that the threads during the period of interchange of the guide rods must be drawn directly from the funnels, which results in non-uniformity of final product. Moreover, in a large commercial installation, such interchange of guide rods involves a vast amount of attention on the part of operators whose duty it is to see that clean guide rods are periodically substituted for those in use so as to insure uninterrupted thread production. In fact, it is common commercial practice to change guide rods every thirty minutes.

An object of the present invention is to improve the uniformity of thread production.

Another object is to reduce to a minimum the attention required to the spinning machines.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this. invention, which embodies among its features a guide which constantly changes position with relation to the thread being drawn and the continuous treating of the guide with a solution suitable for preventing the deposit of chemical substances on its surface.

Another object is to preserve the integrity of the guide-treating liquid and prevent its contamination by the coagulant which emerges from the lower end of the spinning funnel as the thread is withdrawn therefrom.

Further features embody a novel drive, by means of which the guides are constantly kept in motion so that clean, innocuous surfaces are presented to the thread at all times.

In the drawings; .Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view, partially 6 Claims. (01-. 18- -8) 2 in'section, of this invention, showing its relation to the spinning funnels of a conventional spinning machine.

Figure 2 is atransverse sectional view through Figure l. g

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing th relation'of one of the spinning funnels to its respective guide.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a yoke and guide Wheel employed in connection with this invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the interchangeable weight for use in connection with the yoke illustrated in Figure 4.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied to the flow stretch spinning system commonly employed in the production of cuprammonium rayon thread in which a plurality of spinning funnels in are provided with the usual heads II in which the conventional spinnerettes and coagulating liquid inlets and outlets are housed. The funnels terminate at their lower ends in funnel tips l2 to which the conventional spinning nozzles l3 are attached in the usual way by rubber sleeves l4. Mounted directly-below the row of funnels is an elongated trough l5 adapted to contain the solution employed for cleaning the guides. A drain pipe i6 is arranged near one end of the trough with its upper end projecting well above the lower surface of the trough in order to maintain the liquid content thereof at a uniform level. Mounted on the bottom of the trough directly below each spinning nozzle I0 is a bracket l1 and rotatably mounted in each of these is a guide roller l8 having a V- formed of a suitable corrosion-resistant substance such as stainless steel. The lower por-' tions of these rings rest in the grooves IQ of the rollers l8 and extend beneath the upper surface of the liquid contained Within the trough I5, so

that they are at all times in liquid-wetted condiof this tion by being subjected to the action liquid.

the walls of the 'V,-shaped grooves I9, 23 and 21. of the rollers i8, 22 and 26 respectively, the bight portion of each U-shaped yoke is provided with slots 28 for the reception of the arms 29 of a Thusit.

bracket 30 which carries a weight 3|. will be seen that the rollers 26 are constantly urged downwardly into wedging contact between adjacent guides 23 and the entire system is thus, kept under compression so that the driving surfaces are held in close frictional contact.

Secured to the upper edge of the rear side wall of the trough l5 and extending rearwardly be-; yond the confines of the trough are troughs 32, each of which is arranged in axial alignment. with a noz zle I3. Each trough 32 is pro vided with an angular extension 33 in such a manner that liquid discharged from the nozzles l3 will be received in the troughs 32 and discharged through drain pipes 33, so as toavoid contaminationof the liquid.containedinthe trough l5..

One of the shafts 2Iis extended in a direction toward: the spinning machine and is provided with a grooyed pulley 34 By connecting the grooved pulley 34 by means of a belt withany suitable, driven element of the machine, the shaft 2 and its respective grooved roller 22, maybe driven, and motionthus u art e to this-shaft wilhbe transmitted through the adjacent guides 23fl' t'o, the rest ,of the entirem echa nism.

In operation, thread35, issuing from the spinningnozzles misdirected downwardly andbe-.

e h t e up er po i n fther sws e d 23,;from which it .is directed toa suitable collect-. is. de (not shown). n s ttin m che smflin mo io by ns f, the l ey t e guide roller 22. attached to shaft 21 upon which the pulley 34.,is-mounted will berotated This will caus t dja ent, rin -shap d uides 3, Con

tasting the roller 22,,to be driven; Suchmotion. fithe.r nses ap dsui s 23' auses the, rollers.

ZB c ntacting theeppositesides thereof torotate and thus drive; the ,next; adjacent ring-shaped guides and so on. Inthismanner, rotation of as,

g id s a th re re. p n ns p e is r ffas ed-1. otation f. the. gu despresents constantly. new. readont ct n surfaces dir ctly beneaththe nozzles l3-s0 that before each a fresh.

surface is presented'for thread contact. The r;

tation f the guides simultaneously causes. those portions thereof WhiChhELVfi been exposed to the action ofthe spinning-fluids to be dipped in the, fluid, containedinthe trough; lwhere they. are

cleansed of any" deposits; and renderedinnocuous, By. the use of weighted yokes 24,,adequatefricr.

aforesaid deposits increase with the number of "to vvitl'iout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1., Apparatus for the funnel spinning of synthetic thread from a spinning solution wherein u eim an a e d sp edadi c nt e intqo formation .of saidthread and used for directing aid.thr ad qtr a ng s san t herei h uid ..m a ssr. 1 ab e t be omeener t d with epos ts d tn nt i t .un ter :u ed formation of. saidthread, saidapparatus including .9, spininsiun el and a u e ans edia e zt a da l de ean c m ris g; a 1 sm t hollow ringlike member, ofsubstantial internal diame-. ter through wh qh the thread ispassed and against successive portions; of the internal periph-. ery of which the thread,bearsv during its passage therethrough, drivemeans engaging with-the ex: t rna p riph ry of s id memberandad p d o rotate said memberwithout hindering thepassage of thread, ,therethrough, the rotationof said member serving constantly to presentfresh contact: surface. to. ,said, thread during, its, passage,

ai .drivem ansatt e external periph r in so disposed thatthe axisof rotationof said member; .always remains at the theoretical. center. thereof and :means disposed, at. .a point remote from, the thread contacting portion ofsaid memher for removing encrusted-deposits therefromtas said. member rotates, a

2. Apparatus for-the. funnelspinning of syn-: thetic thread .from a spinning. :solution wherein guidesmeans aredisposedadjacent thepoint of formation ofsaidthread and usedfor directing said thread to treatinggstages, and wherein such guidameansJare, liable to become: encrusted with deposits detrimental. to uninterrupted formation of said thread, .saidv apparatus including a spinning funneland a guidemeans adjacent thereto, said guide means comprisinga substantially vertically supported smooth hollow ring-likemember of substantial internal. diameter. .through which the thread ispassed and against successive portions 'of the internal periphery of which the thread bears during its passage therethrough, driverneans engaging with the. external periphery of said member andadapted to rotate said member without hinderingthe passage of thread therethrough, the rotation of said member serv-. ing constantly to presentfrshlcontact surface to saidthread during its passage, said. drive means at the external periphery being so disposed that the axis of rotation ofsaidl'member. always remains at the theoretical centerithercoftand means disposed at la point, remotefrom th'e thread contacting portion of. said member for removing. encrusted deposits therefromeas said member 'rotates. l

3. Apparatus for the funnelspinning of syn thetic thread from'a spinning solution wherein guide means are disposed adjacent the point of formation of said thread and used for directing said thread to treating stages and wherein such guide means are liable to become encrusted with deposits detrimental to uninterrupted formation of said thread, said apparatus including a spinning funnel and a guide means adjacent thereto, said guide means comprising a substantially vertically supported smooth hollow ring-like member of substantial internal diameter through which the thread is passed and against successive portions of the internal periphery of which the thread bears during its passage therethrough, peripherally grooved independently journaled rollers for supporting said member at at least three points about its external periphery at least one of said rollers being driven to impart rotation to said member, said rollers being so disposed about the periphery that the axis of rotation of said member always remains at the theoretical center thereof and means disposed at a point remote from the thread contacting portion of said member for removing encrusted deposits therefrom as said member rotates.

4. Apparatus for the funnel spinning of a plurality of synthetic threads from a spinning solution wherein guide means are disposed adjacent the points of formation of said threads and used for directing said threads to treating stages and wherein such guide means are liable to become encrusted with deposits detrimental to uninterrupted formation of said threads, said apparatus including a plurality of spinning funnels and guide means adjacent each funnel, said guide means comprising substantially vertically supported smooth hollow ring-like members of substantial internal diameter through which the threads are passed and against successive portions of the internal peripheries of which the threads bear during their passage therethrough, peripherally grooved independently journaled rollers for supporting each of said members at at least three points about their external peripheries and adapted to rotate said members without hindering the passage of thread therethrough, drive means for driving all of said members in unison, said rollers being so disposed about the peripheries of said members that the axis of rotation of each of said members always remains at the theoretical center thereof and means disposed at points remote from the thread contacting portions of said members for removing encrusted deposits from said members as they rotate.

5. Apparatus for the funnel spinning of a plurality of synthetic threads from a spinning solution wherein guide means are disposed adjacent the point of formation of said threads and used for directing said threads to treating stages and wherein such guide means are liable to become encrusted with deposits detrimental to uninterrupted formation of said threads, said apparatus including a plurality of spinning funnels and guide means adjacent each funnel, said guide means comprising substantially vertically supported smooth hollow ring-like members of substantial internal diameter through which the threads are passed and against successive portions of the internal peripheries of which the threads bear during their passage therethrough, peripherally grooved independently journaled rollers for supporting each of said members at at least three points about their external peripheries the external peripheries of some of said members engaging with said rollers which serve to support other members, at least one of said rollers being driven and adapted to impart rotation to the member supported by it and through rotation of said member to other members of the apparatus, all of the rollers at the peripheries of the various members being so disposed about said peripheries that the axis of rotation of each of said members always remains at the theoretical center thereof and means disposed at points remote from the thread contacting portions of said members for removing encrusted deposits from said members as they rotate.

6. Apparatus for the funnel spinning of a plurality of synthetic threads from a spinning solution wherein guide means are disposed adjacent the point of formation of said threads and used for directing said threads to treating stages and wherein such guide means are liable to become encrusted with deposits detrimental to uninterrupted formation of said threads, said apparatus including a plurality of spinning funnels and guide means adjacent each funnel, said guide means comprising substantially vertically supported smooth hollow ring-like members of substantial internal diameter through which the threads are passed and against successive portions of the internal peripheries of which the threads bear during their passage therethrough, peripherally grooved independently journaled rollers for supporting each of said members at at least three points about their external peripheries the external peripheries of some of said members engaging with said rollers which serve to support other members, at least one of said rollers being driven and adapted to impart rotation to the member supported by it and through rotation of said member to other members of the apparatus, all of the rollers at the peripheries of the variou members being so disposed about said peripheries that the axis of rotation of each of said members always remains at the theoretical center thereof and means disposed at points remote from the thread contacting portions of said members for removing encrusted deposits from said members as they rotate, said means comprising a trough containing incrustation removing liquid through which the thread contacting portions of the members pass after having contacted the threads.

PAUL T. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,003,170 Bauriedel et al. May 28, 1935 2,144,785 Wagner Jan. 24, 1939 1,984,853 Wagner Dec. 18, 1934 2,191,791 Hardy et al. Feb. 27, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 415,479 Germany June 24, 1925 448,437 Germany Aug. 19, 1927 675,960 France Nov. 18, 1929 623,776 Germany Jan. 4, 1936 451,114 Great Britain July 29, 1936 456,137 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1936 549,252 Germany Apr. 25, 1932 

